Parents upset by sudden end of training courses
Lorraine DalchowA training provider has been criticised after it cancelled courses training hairdressers and mechanics six weeks before the new term.
Norfolk-based Poultec Training said it was shifting focus to apprenticeships. It means 25 youngsters on classroom-based "16-19 study programmes" must try to find new training places.
Parents and students have criticised the timing and said many firms were not offering training because of cost.
Rebecca Rhodes, whose daughter is studying hairdressing, said: "While I appreciate organisations sometimes have to make difficult decisions, giving students only a few weeks' notice at this stage of the academic year has left many families devastated."
The 16-19 study programme is a predominantly classroom-based education and training route, whereas an apprenticeship is a job where you work for an employer, earn a wage and train on the job.
Lorraine Dalchow said the hairdressing NVQ her daughter Mia had been working on at Poultec had been really positive.
"The smaller, more supportive learning environment at Poultec was perfect for her and gave her the confidence to flourish," she said.
"To now have that stability taken away so suddenly has been heart-breaking, and I am deeply worried about the impact it will have on both her future career and her wellbeing."
Dalchow said the colleges she had spoken to about places told her they were full for this year.
She said if Poultec was choosing to focus on apprenticeships, existing students should be helped to get on one.
The announcement was made on 10 July with a statement, which said it had followed a "careful review".
Poultec TrainingRhodes, whose daughter was enrolled on a two-year hairdressing qualification which has been withdrawn, called local salons to see if she could be taken on as an apprentice.
She continued: "Many salons now operate on a self-employed basis and simply cannot afford to employ apprentices.
"Although employers can receive around £3,000 in incentive funding, salon owners have explained that this only covers a small proportion of the overall cost and does not make taking on an apprentice financially viable in the current economic climate."
Statistics show an increase in the numbers of people starting apprenticeships in 2024-25, but levels are still below the highs seen in 2011-12.
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Michelle Bugg, curriculum director at Mattishall-based Poultec Training, said it had been a difficult decision.
Bugg said: "Our focus moving forward is on helping more young people access apprenticeships, where they can earn while they learn, gain real workplace experience and develop the skills needed to progress into long-term employment."
Students are legally obliged to continue education or training until they are aged 18.
The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.
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